The Food Policy Division of the Ministry of Health will be observing Nutrition Awareness Week with a health fair on Main Street and several workplace programmes aimed at focusing attention on the importance of making healthy food choices.
According to a press release, Nutrition Awareness Week has been observed since July 1995 and is a timely intervention towards reducing and preventing both under-nutrition and over-nutrition in children and adults.
Each year’s theme is based on an aspect of nutrition which is of national concern. This year’s observances will be held under the theme ‘Healthy Easting and Active Living: Promoting Health Lifestyles’. A healthy lifestyle is one which helps to keep and improve people’s health and well-being thereby preventing chronic non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and cancer which can contribute to premature death. A healthy lifestyle can be attained by achieving and maintaining a healthy diet and regular physical activity as well as getting regular medical check-ups, the release said.
The programme of activities for the week-long observance starts tomorrow with a ‘Health Walk’ scheduled from 6 am from the Bank of Guyana, through Church Street into Camp Street then to the seawall bandstand. Representatives from various ministries, faith based organisations, international organisations and NGOs along with the members of the public are expected to participate. Participants will each receive a t-shirt, water and a snack.
Two Healthy Workplace programmes will be held; one at the Ministry of Health Headquarters on Tuesday and the other at the Grace Kennedy Remittances Services Headquarters on Friday both from 10 am to 3 pm.
A Health Fair is scheduled for Thursday along the Main Street Avenue between Church and Quamina streets from 10 am to 4 pm. A Walk-a-thon against childhood obesity in collaboration with the AME Zion Church will be held on Saturday July 27 from the National Park.
